1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a battery module, and more particularly, the present invention is related to a battery module having interconnection members to connect rechargeable batteries with an improved structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a battery module includes a few or several tens rechargeable batteries connected together. The rechargeable battery can be repeatedly charged and discharged because its chemical and electrical energy conversion is reversible. Recently, more and more mobile wireless electronic products are being developed, and a need exists for a rechargeable battery having an increased high energy density as its size and weight are reduced.
Widely used batteries include a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-hydrogen battery, a lithium rechargeable battery, and the like. Particularly, the lithium rechargeable battery has an operating voltage of 3.6 V, which is triple that of the nickel-cadmium battery or the nickel-hydrogen battery, and also has a high energy density per unit weight. Therefore, the lithium rechargeable battery is being rapidly popularized as a power source for mobile electronic devices. Such a lithium rechargeable battery can be classified into a lithium ion rechargeable battery, a lithium ion polymer battery, and a lithium polymer battery.
A typical rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed therebetween, a casing providing a space for containing the electrode assembly, and a cap assembly combined with the casing to seal the electrode assembly. The rechargeable battery may be manufactured in a variety of shapes such as cylindrical, rectangular, and pouch types depending on the shapes of the electrode assembly and the casing.
The battery module having a plurality of rechargeable batteries having the aforementioned structure and connected together is being widely used as a power source for driving motors of portable miniaturized electronic devices, such as mobile phones, personal computers, camcorders, and hybrid electric vehicles.
The rechargeable batteries forming the battery module are connected together by interconnection members. The interconnection members are disposed at side ends of the rechargeable batteries so as to electrically connect adjacent rechargeable batteries together. Each rechargeable battery includes an element protruding from the side end in order to form the interconnection member, and this element is used to stably fix the interconnection member.
However, the elements disposed at the side end of each rechargeable battery cause an increase in a length of the rechargeable battery, and this also causes an increase in a volume of the battery module. Therefore, for a compact construction of the battery module, there is a need for an improvement in the configuration of the interconnection members for connecting adjacent rechargeable batteries and components for fixing the interconnection members to the rechargeable batteries.